Loose-leaf binder.



C. J. BRYANT.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV. 23, 1908.

997,599, Patented July 11,1911.

2 BHEETSSHEBT 1.

G. J. BRYANT.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2a, 1908.

Pathted July 11,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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CLYDE J. BRYANT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO WORKMAN MFG. CO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLYDE J. BRYANT, a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to loose-leaf binders and designs to provide a structure embodying certain features of advantage and construction whereby it is rendered simple, durable and easy of adjustment, and whereby the leaves, when the book is opened, will be held so they will remain in open position.

The invention further designs to provide an improved construction in which sheetmetal parts may be employed.

The invention also designs to provide improved mechanism for adjusting the binder.

The invention consists in the several novel features hereinafter set forth and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a section through the adjustable back and illustrating the adjusting-mechanism for the back. Fig. 2 is a plan, the side-sections being contracted and portions of the cover sections being broken away. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2, one cover-section being shown open. Fig. 4: is a section on line l 1 of Fig. 1.- Fig. 5 is a perspective of the back section of the adjustable binder. Fig. 6 is a perspective of one of the adjustable side-see tions of the binder.

The binder comprises a pair of adjustable or expansible side-sections 10 between which the leaves may be clamped and held, an intermediate or back-section 11, cover-sections 12 respectively pivoted to the side-sections 10, extensible posts 13 extending between the side-members and adapted to extend through suitable perforations in the leaves to removably hold them, and an expanding and contracting mechanism for operating the side-sections 10 to clamp or release the leaves.

One feature of the invention consists in providing a back for the binder constructed essentially of sheet-metal parts, to form a light and durable structure. The back-section 11 is disposed at the rear of side-sec tions 10 and is formed of a curved plate of sheet-metal which is adapted to close the gap between the side-members and an angular Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 23, 1908.

Patented July 11, 1911. Serial No. 464,062.

end-piece 14 is secured to each end of the back-section to form ends which protect the leaves adjacent the back-section. Each endplece 14 is provided with an inturned flange or rib 15 which fits against the back side of back-section 11 and is secured thereto by rivets 16. These end-pieces are usually formed of aluminum, as they are not subjected to any of the clamping-strains and such formation contributes to the lightness of the structure' Each of the side-sections 10 is formed of sheet metal and comprises an inwardly extending flange 17 forming a back-wall on each of the side-sections respectively so that the back of the book will be closed thereby when the side-sections are adjusted into separated relation. The plate of metal forming each side-section is extended laterally to form an outer side-wall 18 and then inturned to form a front wall 19, then bent toward the back to form an inner side-wall 20 and then reverted outwardly as at 21, extending to the inner side of the outer side-wall 18. The side-sections thus constituted, provide a double wall or inner and outer walls formed of sheet-metal and adapted for the attachment of the extensible posts for holding the sheets or leaves. Each of said posts comprises an inner member 13 and an outer tubular member 13 having its outer end riveted to the outer wall 18 of one side section and extending inwardly through the inner wall 20 of the same section, and thus this post-member is firmly connected to one of' the side-sections. Each inner post-member 13 is secured to the opposite side-section and extends into and is guided in the tubular member of the extensible post. The inner walls 20 of the side-sections are perforated to permit the tubular members 13 to pass therethrough, so that the post-members will be of sufiicient length for an increased holding-capacity for the leaves. This sheetmetal construction of the sidemembers is therefore well adapted for attachment of the extensible posts, since if the side-sections were formed of a single wall of sheet-metal the posts would not be securely attached. By providing each side-section with the wall 19 and flange 21, a space is provided in front of the back-flanges, of sufficient width for the adjusting-mechanism for the binder.

A cover-section 12 for each side of the binder, is pivoted to one of the side-sections by hinges 24 each of which is formed of a plate of metal bent to forman eye 25 and flanges 25 extending through slots formed in the wall 19 of the side-section. Each cover-section is provided with eyes 26, and a pintle 27 extending through eyes 25 and 26 connects each cover-section to one of the side-sections 10.

Each cover-side comprises a stiff plate 30, usually of sheet-metal and suitably covered as at 31. The inner face of each cover-section is disposed, when the back is closed, substantially in line with the inner sidewall 20 of the side-section to which it is hinged, so that the leaves or sheets in the binder will be held together in substantially parallel relation. The pivots of the hinges are disposed outwardly with respect to the walls 20, the plate 30 extending normally inward from the pivot as at 31. Resultantly, the cover-side, when in open position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, will be disposed so that the leaves may be folded over onto the cover-side and when thus folded, by reason of the gradual bending around the hingecennection 11, the leaves will inherently remain in open position, and furthermore, the curved hinged end of each cover-side permits the cover-side to be swung over into posit-ion so that the leaves may be folded over correspondingly and remain open for convenience in examination of the back face of the exposed leaf as well as the front face of the next leaf. Furthermore, the cover-section is free to be folded sufficiently to permits its front edge to rest 011 the table or desk without tilting the back and sidesections of the binder. This construction also makes it possible to provide a binder in which the side-sections are adapted to leave a wider space adjacent the back-flanges for the expanding and contractii'ig mechanism to increase the capacity of the binder and in which each cover-section is hinged to one of the side-sections so that the cover-sec tions are entirely free to be swung into convenient position when the book is open. Further, the construction is one-constituted essentially of sheet-metal parts to render it durable but not unwieldy. An end-piece 33 usually formed of aluminum is provided with a flange 34.- and secured by rivets 35 to each end of the side-sections, respectively. These end-pieces serve, together with the end pieces on the back-section, to close the ends of the binder adjacent the back.

The mechanism for adjusting the sidesections and securing them in connected relation, comprises a pair of crossed levers 85 and 36 which are pivoted together by a stud 37, extending through the central portions of both of the levers. The lever-ends at one side are each connected to one of the side sections by a pin 38 secured in the side-section and extending through a curved slot 39 in the lever and the lower ends at the other side are correspondingly connected to the other sidesection 10. A screw 40 is revolubly mounted in lugs a1 and 42 which are riveted to the back-section, and a collar 43 on the screw-rod holds the screw against longitudinal movement. The screwrod is provided with oppositely directed screw-threads 4M and 45 for conjointly operating both of the crossed levers in opposite directions respectively. The connection between each of the screw-threads on the rod and each pair of levers comprises a stud 46 secured to a nut 47, the stud extending through oppositely disposed cam-slots etS in the levers respectively. To operate the expanding-mechanism, screw-rod 40 will be turned by a suitable key to cause the studs 46 to move in opposite directions, thus effecting equalized movement of the levers to spread or move together the side-sections 10. By this construction, the cover-sides are cross-connected diagonally and by provid ing oppositely moving studs directly engaging the levers at opposite sides of the connecting pivot between the levers, the mechanism is rendered easy of operation and the necessity of pivoting the levers to the back-section 11 is avoided. Furthermore, the stud-connection between the screwrod and the levers is disposed directly in the line of the latter so that the power is directly applied to the levers. The levers, being connected at their ends to the side-sec tions and by the studs 16 tothe screw-rod, are left for self-adjustment in event of any slight imperfection in the construction, so that the mechanism may be easily operated.

The invention provides a loose-leaf binder, constituted mainly of sheet-metal parts, and these parts are formed to provide a rigid,

durable, and light structure, whereby the extensible posts will be held in alined relation and whereby a space for the operatingmechanism is provided adjacent the back, which is considerably wider than the space between the inner walls of the side-sections between which the sheets are clamped. The cover-sections are hinged to the side-sections so that they will be free to be folded or swung into convenient position to permit the leaves or sheets to be held in open position when desired. The improved expanding and contracting mechanism is simple in construction and is adapted for a blnder having a large sheet-holding capacity. The structure in entirety, is light, so that it is not inconvenient to handle, and being constituted mainly of sheet-metal parts, may be produced at a low cost.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a looseleaf binder, the combination of a pair of adjustable side-sections, adjustable means for securing them in position to clamp the leaves therebetween, the sections being formed of sheet-metal and having inner and outer side-walls, and extensible posts comprising members respectively secured to the outer side-walls and extending through the inner side-walls of the sections.

2. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of a pair of side-sections each having an inwardly extending wall at the front thereof, cover-sides for the sections respectively hav ing their inner faces substantially in line with the inner faces of said walls, pivotal connections between the cover-sides and the side-sections respectively, the pivots being disposed outwardly with respect to the inner faces so that the cover-sides will be free to be swung over the side-sections and to the rear thereof, each cover-side having an inwardly extending stiff portion adjacent the pivot.

3. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination of a pair of side-sections, a back-section, a pair of pivotally connected crossed-levers, sliding-connections between the ends of the levers and the side-sections respectively, eccentric cam-slots in each of said levers at opposite sides of said pivot respectively, two studs each extending through one of the slots in eachlever, and means for conjointly shifting said studs in opposite directions.

4. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, a pair of side plates, a pair of pivotallyunited crossed levers each having its ends in sliding pivotal engagement with both of the side plates, inwardly-projecting lateral extensions adjacent each end of each lever, adjacent extensions of the two levers overlapping and having intersecting cam slots, a shaft having right and left screw-threads, nuts running on such threaded portions of the shaft and each carrying a stud engaging a pair of the cam slots at the point of their intersection.

5. In a loose leaf binder, in combination, a pair of side plates, an intermediate plate, a threaded rod journaled on the intermediate member and anchored against longitudinal movement, a pair of crossed levers pivoted on the intermediate member and having their ends in sliding pivotal engagement with both side plates, each lever having a lateral extension adjacent one end, such two extensions overlapping and having intersecting cam slots, a nut running on the threaded portion of the shaft and having a stud engaged with both cam slots.

6. In a loose-leaf binder, the combination with two side-sections of sheet-metal, each consisting of a single piece having a back wall to lie in part behind the leaves to be bound, a forwardlyextending outer sidewall, an inturned front wall, a backwardlyturned inner side-wall to engage the leaves, and an outwardly-turned wall parallel to and removed forwardly from the back wall and reaching to the outer sidewall, of adjustable posts connecting the tubular shoulders formed by the side walls and front walls and the outwardly-turned walls, and mechanism lying partially in the space formed between the back-wall and the outwardly-turned wall for adjusting the side sections.

CLYDE J. BRYANT. lVitnesses FRED GERLAOH, LEONE S. RUssnLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

